NSC asks Congress to strengthen anti-espionage law
Credit to Author: Michael Punongbayan| Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — Following the arrest of a Chinese national and his two Filipino associates on charges of spying, the National Security Council (NSC) is asking Congress to strengthen the country’s laws against espionage.
In a statement, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said lawmakers should “prioritize the passage of the amendments to the Espionage Act as well as the Countering Foreign Interference and Malign Influence bill.”
“Strengthening our legal framework is essential to effectively address evolving security threats and to ensure that those who seek to compromise our national security will face the full force of the law,” Año stressed.
“The recent apprehensions highlight the need for continuous vigilance, strengthened coordination among government agencies and proactive measures to fortify our national security framework,” he added.
The NSC, Año said, commends the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the intelligence community for their vigilance and effective operations that led to the arrest of Chinese national Yuanqing Deng last Friday outside a condominium in Makati City.
Also arrested were his drivers Ronel Jojo Balundo Besa and Jayson Amado Fernandez.
On Monday, the NBI announced that it had filed complaints of violation of Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 against the Chinese and the two Filipinos.
The AFP, in a separate statement, said the arrest of the Chinese spy and his two Filipino cohorts underscores the dedication of the military to its task.
“This operation, conducted with the National Bureau of Investigation, highlights our proactive stance in addressing threats to the country’s safety and sovereignty.”
The AFP noted that as part of efforts to strengthen the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Operations, the military continues to review and reorganize its structure to enhance its capabilities.
“This includes the activation of the AFP Intelligence Command to improve intelligence operations and the reorganization of the AFP Cyber Command to address emerging threats in the cyber domain. These initiatives ensure the AFP’s readiness to confront modern security challenges effectively,” the military said.
Stricter protocols are in place at camps and other vital installations, the AFP said.
Deng was identified as a graduate of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) University of Science and Technology.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said that being married to a Filipina and engaged in businesses in the country, Deng was able to maintain a low profile and blend easily among the locals.
“The same businesses are also being used as fronts to receive large amounts of funds to enable his illicit activities,” Padilla said.
“This is part of the challenges of the job and so that’s where we see the effectiveness of our intelligence operatives. For this particular individual, he was already here in the Philippines for a period of around over 10 years, married to a Filipina,” Padilla said.
“So that would really pose a challenge but what’s important to note here is that our intelligence operatives were able to do their job accordingly,” she said at a press briefing yesterday.
When arrested, Deng was in possession of spying equipment that he had allegedly been using while inside military and police camps and other vital installations.
The AFP declined to provide more details about Deng as investigation is ongoing.
In December 2024 alone, Padilla said Deng traveled around the Luzon mainland gathering intelligence data on military installations, ports, energy and communication facilities and even malls.
Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan has downplayed the impact of Deng’s espionage activities on his command. “We have been securing our cybersecurity sensitive platforms,” Gavan told The STAR.
He said they have been coordinating with various government agencies on cybersecurity matters since last year.
“Coordinations have been existing even since last year. It has been going on for a long time already,” Gavan added.
One of the areas where Deng had reportedly conducted espionage activities was the Coast Guard’s District Southern Tagalog (DSTL), covering the provinces of Batangas, Quezon, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon and Marinduque.
“That has always been our assumption. These unscrupulous (people) would attack the most vulnerable parts of our system but so far we were able to secure our system,” he said. – Evelyn Macairan, Emmanuel Tupas